Team Lucas (The Saints Team #1) Read online

  I put my phone down and another came through.

  “M, please.”

  And again a few minutes later. “I need to see you before I go.”

  “M, answer my fucking text or open the door!”

  Each text was like opening a wound. Stop it, for fuck’s sake, just stop it.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard his car start. I lay back and let the water immerse me. I felt better knowing he was gone and wouldn’t appear down the chimney or enlist some other plan to get his way.

  I took a large breath and slid under the bubbles. It was quiet and warm and I loved the feeling of having my head immersed. I’m not sure where that came from... maybe something from the womb. Sigmund Freud would have a field day until he met Lucas and dropped me like a hot cake.

  When I came up for air the phone pinged again. Another text from Lucas.

  “On my way to the club. Call me.”

  Fuck you.

  It took Lucas twenty minutes to get to the clubhouse and he texted me again on the shuttle on the way to the airport. Twenty minutes later my phone rang—again a message from Lucas, this time from the airport. Get on the plane already and go! I glanced at the clock on my phone. That had to be it now, it was boarding time and he would be in the air for over two-and-a-half hours. Plus, once he got with the team, he’d be in captain mode, not ride-Mia’s-ass mode.

  I was wrong. Fifteen minutes later the phone rang again but it wasn’t Lucas’s number. I gazed at the screen suspiciously and let it go. My phone beeped telling me there was a message. I dialed message bank and heard the physio Andy’s voice.

  “Ah hi Mia, I was hoping you could give me a call, thanks.”

  I deleted the message. For chrissake, was there nothing Lucas wouldn’t try to get through to me? I soaked for another fifteen minutes, finished my Diet Coke and looked around the room. I tried to talk myself out of it, but deep down, I knew I had to leave—the situation wasn’t going to improve and he would come to hate me more and I would come to despise and desire him in equal amounts while I lost who I was and just became part of Team Lucas.

  The reality was that Lucas loved his life. He loved having the models, living the high life, being the life of the party—who wouldn’t? I was just a thorn in his side, there to do a job and the fact that his father paid my salary made me even more disagreeable to him. He couldn’t look at me for seeing his father trying indirectly to control him.

  This wasn’t my world; I had a good world that I had liked up until now. I had a great family and friends, I liked my studies and I was good at them. I was going to be a qualified physio in less than three months and Lucas Ainswright would be a memory.

  One hell of a memory though. I realized that is probably what my clients feel—being totally up and then hitting the huge lows.

  I had been on a drug called Lucas Ainswright and it was time to wean myself off it.

  Chapter 20

  I got out of the bath, dried off and pulled on my jeans and a pullover. I put my hair into one single braid and packed my bathroom gear. I headed to the bedroom, pulled down my suitcase from the top shelf of the cupboard and opened it.

  This was really happening, I thought, getting teary again. I scolded myself.

  “Get over it,” I said out loud. “You knew it was only a four week trial and the odds of lasting weren’t good.”

  I felt an undercurrent of humiliation too from his words: “I see the way you check me out, wanting something from me like everyone else”. I cringed at the sting in his words. I cringed that I had allowed myself to be sucked in—like I’d be the one to save Lucas Ainswright from himself, that he’d love me and his friends would welcome me. It was a good fantasy while it lasted.

  I grabbed a bundle of my clothes with the hangers still attached and dropped them into the suitcase. A knock at the front door made me jump. I knew it couldn’t be Lucas, because he was on a plane by now.

  I hoped he hadn’t sent an urgent bunch of flowers to pacify the situation or a choir to sing to me. He could pull out the stops when he had to and I wasn’t going to be swayed by his stupid showmanship. I went via the bathroom, grabbed my packed makeup bag—may as well take one finished load downstairs with me and save a trip later. I took the stairs, put the bag down and moved to the window. I looked out the front through a small gap in the curtains.

  Fuck!

  I opened the door to Jase.

  “Hi Mia, can I come in?” he asked, taking up most of the doorway with his huge frame.

  I stood aside. I closed the door and looked at Jase in his business suit.

  “Tell me Lucas hasn’t called you in the middle of your busy afternoon to run over here for him?” I said.

  Jase glanced around, saw my bag and exhaled.

  “He said there had been some trouble and he couldn’t get through to you, but if he didn’t you might leave. I figured that was serious enough to warrant a quick trip over.”

  I bit my lip. “I’m sorry Jase. How embarrassing, it’s just a tiff. I can’t believe he thinks your career is so much less important than his...”

  Jase held up his hand. “It’s okay. Lucas and I have an agreement that we do things for each other if they’re code red.” He smiled and bit his bottom lip. “Ah, this is code red.”

  I nodded. “It’s enough now, I’ve had enough.”

  Jase put his hands in his trouser pockets. “I get that, I get that more than most. But Mia...” he stepped closer to me, “so far, you’re the only one he’s listened to. He’s never organized tickets or taken the other minders to the game.”

  “But they went.” I remember Elizabeth saying she sat next to Mrs. Compton.

  “Yeah, his father organized that with Lucas’s manager. Lucas is responding to you,” Jase said.

  “He’s not. He’s rude and abusive and—”

  “Testing you. He’s trying not to trust you, so he’s testing you.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t care, Jase. I don’t need this. I’m not his mother, sister, best friend, cousin or lover. I’m the paid help. I don’t have a vested interest in him like you do and frankly while it pays really well and has some great perks, one of which would be Lucas if he wasn’t such a dick, I can’t stand the highs and lows.”

  I left out that I had a massive crush on this guy who liked me for two minutes of a twenty-four hour clock and was kind to me for one of those minutes. Aagh, I hated Lucas Ainswright.

  Jase looked to my bag in the corner, again. “You’re not going to leave yet are you?”

  “Yes, today.”

  “Okay, let’s think this through.” He began to pace. His phone rang and he looked at the screen. He held his finger up to indicate one minute to me. “Sorry, I just need to get this.”

  “Sure,” I said.

  He turned and answered discreetly. “Yes... I’m here now... yes it appears that way... right.” He hung up and looked back at me.

  I rolled my eyes. “Team Lucas?”

  “Ah yeah,” Jase said. “That was the team doc.”

  “Really? The doc is checking up now?” I asked. “How does he even know? Why would he know?”

  “It seems that Lucas might have left the clubhouse a bit worked up, so Doc pulled him aside to find out what was going on. It’s okay, he’s under control. Mia, would you do something for me?”

  “Maybe,” I said. I really liked Jase and Sarah but I don’t want to be manipulated into being part of Team Lucas if it meant propping up a complete creep.

  “Don’t go.”

  I shook my head. “To quote Lucas, that ship has sailed.”

  Jase glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to be in court in thirty minutes, so I’ve got to run. But Mia, please just do one thing for me, not for Lucas, but for me and Sarah.”

  “Ah, you’re good.” I sighed.

  He gave me an ever so small smile. “The season’s just started. Whether you believe it or not, we know Lucas is re
sponding to you, we see him watching you.”

  “Really?” I asked, surprised. “Probably so he can tell me not to watch him when I make eye contact.”

  Jase ignored me and continued. “He is learning to trust you, he’s leaning on you a little bit more and more each day and that’s why his reactions are so extreme. Think about it... I bet every time you’ve shared a good moment it’s been followed by a bad one.”

  I didn’t need to think about it, I knew that was the truth.

  Jase continued. “If you want to go back to your place I understand that, but for my sake please leave your luggage here. Just until you’ve cooled down and thought about it. If Lucas comes home and finds you’ve completely gone... it’s going to be a train wreck.”

  I bit my lip and looked at the door. I wanted out and I wanted closure. It was going to be hard enough to leave without knowing some of me was still here.

  I saw Jase glance to his watch again.

  “What about his daily testing?” I asked. “I did it this morning, so he won’t need testing for the two days he’s away.”

  “I’ll organize for the doc to do it just until you’re ready to come back. Lucas won’t like it but he should have thought of that before... well whatever happened here.”

  “He threw sperm at me.”

  “What? What did you just say?” Jase’s eyes were huge.

  “He went to give me a pee sample and came out with a sperm sample. He threw the jar at me and told me to go get it inseminated, then I could bleed off him for the rest of my life.” My voice trembled as I told the story; it sounded worse as it aged.

  “Fuck.” He ran his hand over his mouth.

  I’m sure Jase was also thinking of the legal repercussions of that for Lucas, if I was that way inclined, but I wasn’t. Jase was the only one I could tell in my circle.

  “Mia, I’m so sorry. That’s so appalling that I don’t know what to say. I can understand completely why you want to get out of here.” He shook his head again.

  “I wouldn’t dream of mentioning it to anyone except you,” I assured him. “My role requires discretion for all clients, high and low paying. He didn’t tell you, obviously?”

  “No, that’s something I wouldn’t forget easily.” He looked directly at me. “Can you leave it with me Mia? Despite this, can you not move out completely just yet? ”

  I glanced to my bag in the corner.

  “Please Mia, just do this for me and if you decide that you don’t want to come back, then I’ll personally drop your gear over to you.” He pulled out his business card from his inside jacket pocket and gave it to me. “My email and phone are on there. Deal?”

  I sighed and nodded.

  Jase grabbed me by the shoulders, kissed my forehead and raced to the door.

  “Thank you, Mia.” He let himself out. I watched him drive away in a very nice black Audi. He was talking on the phone—probably telling the doc and Andy that he had succeeded.

  You’re undeserving of all of their support Lucas, including mine, I thought. But for some reason, we all think you’re worth it.

  I guess there was one consolation. Lucas didn’t know my address. Only my boss did and I rang him quickly to make sure it stayed that way.

  Chapter 21

  Being home was okay, surprisingly damn good okay. I thought I would dread it but opening the door to my little student unit in Long Beach was kind of like going home to visit your parents and staying in your old bedroom with your childhood music posters all over the wall. In its smallness it felt protective. The silver lining—my college pad was a good thirty minutes’ drive from Lucas’s beachside mansion and we would never run into each other here. He had no reason to come this way.

  I unpacked my makeup bag, the only bag I had brought home from the beach pad as I promised Jase. My best gear was over there but I had the ‘B’ team of clothing still in my unit. I knew the full impact of leaving hadn’t hit me yet but I was going to do my best to stay so frantically occupied that by the time it did hit me, I would be over it. Good strategy.

  I opened the fridge door; very, very sad in there… and then I heard a knock at my unit door.

  You’ve got to be kidding? My heart started thumping. I looked to the clock and it was just after five p.m. Who could Lucas be sending now and how did they find out where I lived?

  I hoped I would forget his routine soon; otherwise it was going to do my head in.

  I hesitantly opened the door just a little and there was no need for the super paranoia; Adrian from the unit next door stood there. I breathed out. Adrian—just short of six foot, conservative, steel rimmed glasses, floppy brown hair, boy-next-door handsome and fourth year medical student—was a sight for sore eyes. I’d missed my college friends and the nocturnal activity that could be heard by all—two students at it seemed so different than an international sporting star and a model at it. Why was that? Oh that’s right, I’m too busy to think about Lucas Ainswright!

  “Hey.” I grinned at Adrian and let him in.

  “Saw you drive in. Sick of sporting nobs?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I was craving some medical conversation,” I teased him. “Seen any good autopsies lately?”

  “No, but I saw a great liver transplant the other day.”

  I grimaced and Adrian laughed, showing an expensive row of very straight, white teeth. Mummy and Daddy had money even if Adrian was living in cheap college digs.

  “Got plans? Because I’ve got an empty fridge,” I asked him.

  “That’s a tragedy. Bar?”

  “I’ll get my jacket,” I agreed.

  “Me too,” he said, and disappeared out the door.

  I met Adrian in the hallway a few moments later and we walked down the road to the local bar and major student hangout. It was good to be with a friend again and to not be on guard with everything I said. It took me a while to relax back into the routine.

  I grabbed a chilled Sauvignon Blanc and Adrian got a beer, and we sat outside in the beer garden. We were just in time for happy hour prices—with my recent big earnings I’d forgotten how important that was.

  We were only there about an hour when I saw a flash of light to my left. I squinted and Adrian and I looked over to see what was happening. Someone had just snapped our photo and left.

  “Are you wanted by the FBI or anything?” I asked Adrian.

  He shrugged. “Not this week.”

  I never thought about it again until Adrian and I walked home around nine. It was a gorgeous night, balmy, and it would have been wonderful sitting on a deck looking at the ocean. I wondered if Jase and Sarah were home and what they were doing. When he returned, would Lucas go in and check out my room? Would he shred my clothes or throw them on the street? Shut up and get out, Lucas Ainswright thoughts!

  As we arrived at the units, we saw two television crews and a couple of photographers in the street out the front.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “Do you think someone’s been hurt?”

  Then the camera crews saw us and raced towards Adrian and me.

  “What the fuck?” he said. “C’mon.” Adrian grabbed my hand and we ran through to the back of the units where only those of us who lived there knew there was another entrance. We raced up the internal stairs and into my unit.

  “What was that about?” I asked, locking the door and grabbing for my iPad. “Something must have happened.” I was filled with dread that Lucas had hurt himself and somehow I had been connected. My stomach churned.

  Adrian filled the kettle and grabbed two coffee mugs while I sat at the small round table and looked for local news headlines.

  “White with none?” he asked.

  “You remembered; thanks.” I gave him a quick smile and returned to my iPad. I gasped and hesitantly looked at Adrian. It seemed Lucas was just fine, but probably angrier than ever. I could imagine him stomping around his hotel room, cursing and looking gorgeous while doing it. Damn
him.

  I cleared my throat. “Um, just wondering if you’ve ever wanted a high profile medical career, like you know Doogie Howser or... House or that doctor George Clooney played?” I asked him.

  Adrian shrugged and came over with two cups of coffee.

  “I wouldn’t mind being Dr. McCoy from Star Trek. Why?”

  I turned the screen so he could see it.

  “We’ve been outed.” I read the headline aloud: Saints’ captain dumped by personal trainer.

  “Oh wow, this is so wrong in so many ways.” I read on.

  Saints star and captain Lucas Ainswright arrived at training without his number one assistant, the personal trainer and physio appointed to him only weeks ago.

  College third-year physical therapy student Mia Carter is credited with keeping the star on track but insiders say a spectacular falling out by the pair could result in Mr. Ainswright’s training routine and performance being derailed.

  Mr. Ainswright’s neighbor Sally Lawrence said the couple had jogged together that morning and seemed harmonious but a fellow jogger who wished to remain anonymous said tension broke out when Mr. Ainswright seemed to lose focus during their training session and started talking with a group of women.

  Model Chloe Serase said the couple fought continuously. “It was like foreplay. They are always going at each other.”

  Ms. Carter was seen with another man later that afternoon fuelling speculation that her relationship, professional or private, with Mr. Ainswright is on the rocks. Mr. Ainswright’s manager declined to comment.

  They had a blurred photo of me with Adrian—the one that was taken at the pub earlier, and they had a shot of me heading into training with Lucas at the club sometime last week. There was also a shot of the two of us jogging—one of the women must have snapped that on her phone. My ass looked pretty good. I stopped and looked to Adrian.

  “This is so spectacularly wrong. I’m sorry you’re dragged into this Ades. Lucas and I, we’re not lovers, we don’t even like each other. I’m not his personal trainer. I was having my jog and he joined me... foreplay my ass.”